


Mob Bosses Can Yearn. Who Knew?

by m0nst3rgh0ul



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Boys In Love, Jealous Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko Has Feelings, M/M, Pining, Soda Kazuichi Being Dumb, Soda Kazuichi Has Comphet, and he hates it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29537382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m0nst3rgh0ul/pseuds/m0nst3rgh0ul
Summary: "She's a figurehead, she doesn't do shit but show up for ceremonies and be waited on hand and foot by an assortment of guards and housemaids.And *he* was head-over-heels for her, even after she blatantly mutters on about how she wants nothing to do with him. He was wasting his time and energy, the dumbass. He didn't care, of course. Why would he care? Its none of his business what the walking highlighter spent his time on. But, it was simply so fucking stupid.Watching him fawn over her like that, it was disgusting. He could feel the secondhand embarrassment from across the room. Almost soundlessly, he huffed, glancing back down at his plate as he stabbed the fork down into the remains of his breakfast. It was infuriating. What's so special about her?About Miss Sonia Nevermind."
Relationships: Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Soda Kazuichi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In which one has no clue that he's gay, and the other is painfully aware of that fact.

The young yakuza sat at a lone table in the dining hall, prodding his fork around the half-eaten remains of his breakfast. His eyes weren't fixated on his plate though, no, his eyes were locked somewhere else, a fierce gaze that normally could strike fear in the hearts of anyone who witnessed it. However, the recipient of this gaze could not have been any more clueless, in fact, it was likely she didn't even notice the tiny yet mighty mafia boss shooting daggers into her back. 

The 'Ultimate Princess.' What kind of fucking title was that? A talent like that was almost as bad as that fucking hope-obsessed freak's, she probably hasn't worked a day in her life. It was bullshit, being accepted into a school like that simply based on her lineage, what makes her an ultimate? She's a figurehead, she doesn't do shit but show up for ceremonies and be waited on hand and foot by an assortment of guards and housemaids. 

And *he* was head-over-heels for her, even after she blatantly mutters on about how she wants nothing to do with him. He was wasting his time and energy, the dumbass. He didn't care, of course. Why would he care? Its none of his business what the walking highlighter spent his time on. But, it was simply so fucking stupid. 

Watching him fawn over her like that, it was disgusting. He could feel the secondhand embarrassment from across the room. Almost soundlessly, he huffed, glancing back down at his plate as he stabbed the fork down into the remains of his breakfast. It was infuriating. What's so special about her? 

About Miss Sonia Nevermind.

-

Kazuichi was too focused on meticulously tracking Sonia Nevermind to notice... well, really anyone else in the room. He was unaware that he wasn't the only one staring intently at the princess, unaware that there was a yakuza in the back of the room staring daggers into the back of his coveted princess's lovely back. (Every part of her was lovely, her back isn't an outlier.)

She was finishing up her breakfast now, delicately wiping her mouth with a handkerchief she had with her. Kaz remembered that handkerchief, it had emerald green lining on the outside and her initials in the corner, even though the way she was holding it now covered them up. He watched the delicate movement intently, just waiting until she would move the piece of cloth away to reveal her soft lips once again.

Sonia placed the handkerchief back into her pocket and stood up, an apologetic smile on her face.

"Ah, I'm afraid I must go now, friends. I have duties to take care of."

Of course, no one questioned what duties she had to attend to as she gracefully stood up, swiftly yet carefully making her way down the stairs. Kazuichi, of course, watched her every movement, keeping his eyes on her for as long as he could before she was finally out of sight. 

His mood change was evident as soon as the Princess left, slumping down into sadness and looking around at where everyone else was for the first time since entering. His eyes landed on Fuyuhiko, clearly annoyed about something. He knew it would be best not to bother him, but the nosy part of Kaz wanted to find out what had gotten him so pissed off, preferably with all of his limbs intact. So, taking a chance, he waved to the Yakuza and picked up his plate, preparing to move over to his isolated table.

"Hey, Fuyuhiko! Over here!"

-

A semi-permanent scowl rested on his face, a low growl escaping him at the booming, all too familiar-sounding voice. He shifted his eye to look in his direction, nearly letting out an exasperated groan at the sight of his clumsy meandering towards his own table. Normally, his presence was bearable. Well, more than bearable on most occasions, but today was different. After all, he sat at his own table for a reason, he wasn't in the mood for idle chit-chat, especially after what he had just witnessed from across the room.

He pushed his plate away from himself as the mechanic trotted over, lazily resting his head in his hand as he drew closer. He could practically smell the oil as he got closer, a scent that had become somewhat comforting. Most of the time. But once again, today was difference.

"..Aye. It's too early for yelling like a fucking crazy person, you know."

-

Kazuichi pouted as he sat down right next to Fuyuhiko, playfully leaning on him a little bit. They had gotten pretty close during their time so far on the island, or- well, as close as you could get to a closed-off yakuza boss. Still, he seemed to tolerate Kazuichi's antics, which was quite a feat. Normally people couldn't stand being near him for too long. Maybe Fuyuhiko'd closed-off, aggressive nature complimented his excitable and flighty one? He didn't really know. But no matter, what was important was cheering up his friend.

"I was just excited so see you-" He pouted, wrapping his arms around Fuyuhiko's shoulders. "Anyway, ya looked angry! I thought it would be good to cheer you up!" Kaz proclaimed, a prideful grin on his face.

-

"..Tch." Obviously. No, he was fucking giddy, having the time of his life right now. Couldn't be fucking better! God, he was so dense sometimes, he honestly didn't understand that about him. What kind of person wants to hugged around on when they're angry? And second, the only way to 'cheer him up' is to get miss blondie out of the picture.

"..'M fine." He pushed him off his shoulder, lighter than he usually would do to most. His look was harsh, I mean, it was always harsh, but it was way more intense now. He pushed off of his seat as he got up, adjusting his tie as he averted his eyes.

"..Why don't you go run off with that fucking princess you like so much, eh? Leave me out of it."

-

"Eh?" Kazuichi cocked his head at those words.

"Is this about Miss Sonia?"

He really didn't know why it would be, he didn't remember any argument the two of them might have had. Generally, the princess was a very agreeable person, it was difficult to dislike her. Though, sometimes it did feel like Fuyuhiko hated things for the sake of hating them, and a popular blonde princess seemed like a victim he would choose. But this seemed.. a little deeper than that. Something was wrong.

-

He nearly froze up at the words, rolling his eye with a scoff. It was none of his fucking business what had him riled up, all he needed to do now was go off on his own. Maybe have a smoke, get his mind off for a while. He kept his eyes away from him, looking out the doorway at the beach down below. Falling for this bastard was the worst decision he could've ever made, especially in a situation like this. 

"..Its none of your fucking business. I told you it was fine. I'm goin' to go smoke, go run off and fawn over your beloved or some shit-"'

-

Kaz let out a defeated sigh. Why did he have to be so goddamn stubborn? All he wanted was to help his friend, but Fuyuhiko just couldn't let himself have comfort. Of course. It was so fucking annoying, all he wanted was to make him feel better, but he was too busy being a badass who's too cool for emotional support.

No, he couldn't think like that. Fuyuhiko was hurting, he couldn't get mad at him now. He stood up, exasperation and concern leaking into his voice.

"Fuyu, wait. ..You don't have to say what's going on or whatever, but- at least let me come with you. I'll shut up, just.. C'mon, man. I don't wanna leave you like this."

-

Fuyuhiko turned his back to him with the same level of aggression written on his face, nearly walking out of the dining hall before immediately being defeated by his unnecessary concern. It sickened him how easy it was for the mechanic to make him change his mind, something in his heart simply told him that he had to let him come along, just for the sake of calming his concerns.

Then, after he had convinced him that he was fine then he would leave him be to try and bury these terrible, horrible feelings. Love is fucking stupid, and all it does it cause issues. He couldn't let anything get in the way of his job, you know. 

Turning on his heel, he let out a defeated sigh, his voice still harsh and icy.

"..Fine. But I'm tellin' ya- I'm 'aight."

-

A giant grin took over his face at that, his happiness practically beaming through the entire room. He held back the urge to pull Fuyuhiko into a hug, instead bouncing on his heels a little. He really didn't expect that to work at all, so the agreement caught him off guard, though he was clearly excited.

"Great!"

Kaz paused for a moment, sheepishly moving a hand to scratch behind his neck.

"So... where are we going again?"

-

He fought back the feeling of his heart fluttering from the sight in front of him. He had no right to look so cute and excitable like that, besides, why was he so happy to be around him anyways? Wouldn't he much rather be with her? Stupid fucking princess. He'd never understand what he liked so much about her. 

Sure, she may be the "ideal" woman or whatever the fuck, but he never saw the appeal. Does he want someone to provide for him? Hell, he could do that. What did she have that he didn't? Ugh, there's no point in continuing to dwell on it.

"..We can figure it out later- I was just goin' to go back to the cottage-"

-

Kaz nodded, not paying much attention. He didn't really get to finish his food yet, so his eyes were longingly transfixed on the half-finished cherry pastry sitting on his plate.

"That sounds good with me," He said absently, picking up the dessert and taking a giant bite.

-

He simply looked at him for a moment, subtly contemplating how the FUCK he managed to take such a large bite. Sure, with how much he talked, he should've expected him to be big-mouthed. Whatever, that wasn't what mattered right now, he tried to be patient with him finishing his food, but like mentioned before, he wasn't a patient guy. 

He dusted off his suit jacket as he tried to spend his time doing something, adjusting his cuff links and all, normal suit-wearer things. He crossed his arms afterwards, his once clouded over aggression shifting back to his neutral scowl. It's not that he was still mad, of course, that's just naturally how his face looked. Angry.

"..Ya almost ready to go? I'm not gonna stand here forever-"

-

He was taken out of his food-induced trace with Fuyuhiko's words, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his cheeks. He didn't know why, but Kazuichi always felt the need to act cooler around him. He normally was pretty relaxed around everyone, but he always had to second-guess everything he did around Fuyuhiko. It probably had something to do with the guy being a Yakuza boss, Kazuichi decided, not thinking of it as anything more.

He finished the piece of toast that he was eating and glanced back to Fuyuhiko, the sheepish look returning with an embarrassed fluster.

"Ahah.. Sorry, I'm ready now-"

-

He couldn't help but softly laugh as he rolled his eyes, turning away from him as he headed for the doorway. He was so dorky, literally the most dorkish person he had ever met. And yet, it only added to his charm, Kaz wouldn't be Kaz without it. He tried his best to maintain his nonchalant attitude as he continued to walk over to the doorway, yet he was already enamored. 

"..I gotta run by my cottage real quick to grab some shit- Then we can figure out the details-"

-

Kaz trotted right behind him, happiness simply radiating off of him. He wore his heart on his sleeve, every emotion as clear as day. So when he was this happy, it practically filled up the room. It was only made greater from how Fuyuhiko was already clearly in higher spirits than before, it made Kaz feel lighter that he somehow made him happier.

"Alright! I can walk with you!"

-

And of course, the fact he was a walking ball of sunshine didn't help kill those feelings that were festering up in him. He made everything lighter, calmed him down in a way he couldn't quite describe. Sure, Peko has helped him calm down on occasion, but it was never to this degree. Kaz just... could do it without even trying. He hated how mushy he made him, how much he made his heart pound with just a smile. Ughhhh.

"..Pft- Alright, come on then-" Entirely calmed back down, he completely disregarded his need for a smoke, trying to think of something that they could waste their time doing. He wouldn't want to make him leave just cause he was in a better mood.

"..Maybe we can just walk around for a bit.. Talk 'n shit-"

-

He nodded eagerly, passing Fuyuhiko and racing down the stairs. Kaz was surprisingly eager for this, he himself was even surprised. He just thought that he was doing this to calm down whatever Fuyuhiko had on his mind, but he guessed he was more eager than he thought.

Thinking a little as he waited for the yakuza to catch up to him at the bottom of the staircase, Kaz supposed it did make some sense. They hadn't really spent time together too recently, Fuyuhiko had been denying nearly all of his requests to hang out together. So maybe he was just eager to make up for lost time and see him again.

Settling on that answer, Kaz fidgeted with his hands impatiently as he watched Fuyuhiko walk down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a weird place to leave off, but it was the best one I could find. Kuzusouda is kind of a rarepair, so I doubt this'll get as popular as our other fics, but I hope that we convinced some people about how cute this ship is!


	2. Chapter 2

The fidgety sight below him only teased a smile at the edge of his lips, making an effort to move down the stairs a bit quicker. He was just so dorkishly adorable, every little thing he did was so endearing. He was like an excitable little puppy, bursting with energy and happy to see him. It melted his heart every time.

Meeting him at the bottom of the stairs with a playful nudge, he looked up at him with a slight grin.

“Tryna show off how fast ya are, huh?”

-

Kaz laughed a little at the tease, shoving him lightly. Normally he would take things like that more seriously, but he was in a really good mood. He kinda.. missed Fuyuhiko?

It was kind of a sappy thing to say, but he did. When Fuyu was distant for those few days, he was thinking about him a lot more. Like, a lot. It was kinda weird.

But at least now they were together again, and things were totally normal.

"So we're gonna get something from your cottage, right?

-

“..Ah- Nah, I’m ‘aight- I was gonna get some smokes, but I don’t need ‘em anymore-“ He tried to lightly laugh it off, walking around the pool as he tried to act as though Kaz hadn’t shifted his mood a full 180. Truthfully, avoiding him the past few days only made him more and more irritable, even Peko had been offput by the way he was acting. 

Why couldn’t he just- Not have feelings. That would he so much more convenient right about now. 

“So how’s about we get goin’-?”

-

Kazuichi tensed up at the mention of cigarettes. It was a bit of a reflex to do so, and his overly expressive face didn't do him any favors in that moment. His grin turned into gritted teeth, and his body language, typically open and expressive, became closed off and tense.

It only occurred for a few seconds, however, until he awkwardly tried to brush it off, his smile dimmer than before.

"Ahaha.. sounds good."

-

He noticed how tense he had become at that, taking mental note and taking his time to think about what had caused it exactly. He knew better than to just ask, that may only make him more upset, so instead he simply kept to himself.

He supposed it must have had something to do with the cigarettes, he wouldn’t push into that, though, it wasn’t his business to pry. 

He just knew to simply not bring them up, or use them, with him around. 

In an attempt to bring that stupidly cute smile back, he nudged him a bit with a laugh.

“..Hey, c’mon man- Where’s that signature grin, aye?” He put on a playfully mocking tone, looking up at him as he did so.

“I respond better to you not being bummed out, you know?!”

-

Kazuichi livened up a little more at seeing Fuyuhiko so obviously trying to cheer him up. It elicited a feeling in his chest that he couldn't quite place, and created an urge to hold him closer for seemingly no reason.

He slung an arm around him, acting on the seemingly harmless instinct with a warmer smile than normal. 

"Heh... Thanks."

Kaz had meant to tease him about it, something along the lines of him caring for other people, but a genuine thanks fell from his lips instead. It was strange. He knew that he could be emotional, but this was a bit much, even for him. Why the hell was he being so- weird?

-

Fuyuhiko nearly flinched from the sudden movement, nearly stumbling over from how harsh he yanked his arm back. Quickly holding out a hand to try and catch himself on Kaz before he toppled over, he found himself gripping onto his shoulder. After the yakuza finally stabilized himself, he realized that he had basically used him as a crutch in that moment, sheepishly taking his hand back.

The blush on his cheeks grew in the embarrassment he felt of doing something so... Weak. From that movement alone, it looked as though a strong gust of wind could knock the supposedly "ultimate" yakuza. Some ultimate he was. Whatever, there's no time to dwell on "what-ifs" and "could-have-beens" in a place like this. If there was anything he was damn sure of, it was that.

He quietly huffed, dusting off his suit jacket before looking back up to the taller mechanic. Bad idea. Very fucking bad idea. The sight of his flushed cheeks and incredibly flustered expressions was enough to make his heart pound. He was simply adorable, every little thing about him. While he knew they were contacts, he could simply get lost in his eyes for hours, cuddled up with him in blissful silence, ever so often a little giggle coming from either of them...

Blegh. Enough with the domestic bullshit, he didn't have time for shit like that. Didn't he just say that??

"..Yeah, c'mon- We can walk down the beach for a bit, the tide isn't coming in too far-"

-

Feeling Fuyuhiko grab onto him so suddenly caused his cheeks to instantly flush red. He just wasn't expecting him to do that, is all. Nothing else. 

Thankfully, he relaxed a little as he held eye contact with Fuyuhiko in that moment. For one, he was blushing too, so that was just more evidence that he was only blushing from the surprise and close proximity of the situation. They were just two straight bros.

But secondly, looking at Fuyuhiko was weirdly.. relaxing? It was probably something to do with evolution. Something about befriending the apex predator. It was hard to consider him threatening when he looked like this, though. His eyes were so big and expressive. Normally you didn't notice it, given that he probably tried to stay closed off, but right now, he looked.. soft. Like his guard was down. Like Kazuichi should just lean down and-

He blinked harshly, whipping his head away from Fuyuhiko and abruptly breaking their eye contact. His voice came out strained, face showing every emotion he was feeling.

"RIGHT. AHAHA. LET'S HEAD DOWN THEN-"

-

Seeing him avert his eyes in such and abrupt manner only caused him to do the same, feeling the blood burning in his cheeks. That moment of silent eye contact was enough to fill his mind with more of those disgustingly mushy images, daydreaming over shit like a teenage girl with a crush. It was pathetic, yet he was head over heels for the mechanic. If he hadn't known better, he might've suspected something simply based off of his red face.

..But, he knew how easily it was for Kaz's face to flush, it probably didn't mean nothing but embarrassment. Besides, it was probably better for him in the long run if he ever reciprocated these feelings. Hell, what would Ma and Pops have to say about him bringing him home? They'd never let him get away with that, and the last thing he needed was more negative things for them to look down on him for.

Hey, not the time for all the sob story shit, there's a beach to get on down to. 

He nodded, keeping his eyes averted despite the little flutter his heart gave when sneaking glances. He was, sadly, his type in almost every sense of the word, and spending this time with him was not gonna help.

"How ya holding up..? 'You sure you got enough at breakfast? Ya look a little lightheaded, Man-"

-

Kazuichi swallowed hard as he walked, forcefully shoving out all the weird shit that was trying to invade his head. He was just trying to have a nice time with his friend, but these stupid thoughts wouldn't leave him alone! It was like he was under a magic spell, and now he was entranced by Fuyuhiko, following wherever he led. Cursed to imagine slotting his hand in his, cuddling him and pulling him close. He could press kisses all along the yakuza's neck and face... and he would just hum happily, tilting his head back a little just to make room for more kisses. 

Soon enough, Kazuichi was lost in his own fantasy of delicate kisses and handholding, a steady blush and dopey grin on his face. He barely recognized anything that was going on around him, completely immersed in his imagination. 

That was, until Fuyuhiko snapped him out of it. 

This time it didn't shock him so badly, only letting out a surprised yelp to his words and jumping a little. But still, an improvement from before.

He awkwardly scratched his neck with a bit of an embarrassed fluster and apologetic smile, glancing back to Fuyuhiko.

"..Sorry.. Eheh.. Just, uh.. caught me off guard-"

=

He seemed a little confused and taken aback by his sudden yelp, his eyes widening as it slightly made him flinch. Damnit, he just couldn't keep his cool around him, and it was starting to seriously piss him off. What was he even so lost in thought over? It better not be that hoity-toity princess bitch, she should be the last thing on his mind right now.

He tried to brush off the irrational anger that built up in him, crossing his arms in an attempt to distract from the obvious embarrassment that was written on his face from being so jumpy. 

"..'The hell are you yellin' for, I'm right here, y'know."

-

Alright, no. No more being weird. Shoving out the thoughts for real this time, Kazuichi apologized again, and continued to walk alongside Fuyuhiko.

But of course, as he walked, the thoughts continued to nag him. Kaz grew more and more fidgety as he knocked back every strange thought his brain came up with as the two walked in what appeared to be a peaceful silence.

"Actually, uh- I was wondering if we could talk about something? Man to man?" He asked, finally relieving a little of the pressure he was carrying. Kaz was never one to hide his feelings from others, and would talk about his issues quite openly, even in situations like this.

"It's weird, I just need a fellow straight dude's opinion on this."

-

He paused for a moment, taking a second to process what he had just said. He actually had to stifle a laugh at that, looking up at him with a slightly amused expression. The mere fact that he even considered.. Geez, he was much more dense than he ever even considered. Regardless, he was going to hear him out, of course. That's what friends did, and stuff, right? Whatever, he needed to get his mind off the Sonia bullshit anyways.

"..Eh..? Well, I cant help ya much in that 'fellow straight dude' department, but I'll hear ya out.. What's up..?" He said coolly, as if he didn't just come out to him on the spot. Why should it fuckin' matter? He seriously doubted Kaz cared about who he would fuck around with, so it wasn't a big deal. Kaz was chill.. For the most part.

=

Kaz froze a little when he heard that. He didn't know why exactly, it's not like he cared that Fuyuhiko liked dudes, it was just- Well, intimidating. It was somehow more comforting to think that he was having some random thoughts about making out with a friend that they could laugh about later. But having him actually be gay (or bi, or.. whatever-) felt so much more intimidating. It brought out a sudden realness to these crazy thoughts, finally processing that he might not be as straight as he thought.

He fumbled for a bit, looking for a way to backtrack. Suddenly it felt like a terrible idea to ask if fantasizing about kissing a dude made you gay, and everyone thought about that, right? 

"Ah- Just- Um."

Think of something. Think.

"I was just. Thinking about how Sonia's the prettiest girl on the island. Like, objectively."

=

Fuyuhiko's amused expression immediately fell, that anger from that morning bubbling back up from under the surface. Of fucking course, it's always her. Always Ms. Perfect Princess and how beautiful and wonderful and perfect she was. Always. It never fucking failed, he couldn't get away from her or the fact that Kaz was drooling over her, it was almost like he was rubbing it in his face.

..Of course, he knew that the mechanic couldn't have known, but the anger still remained just as futile, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep him from swinging at the nearest thing around him (..that wasn't Kaz, of course).

"..Tch. Whatever, I don't fucking care who the "prettiest girl on the island is." ..Like I just said, I don't swing that fucking way, and I don't give a damn about Sonia or how perfect she may be." His words came out harsh, completely avoiding eye contact with him. He just wished she would just disappear, he couldn't keep hearing about her day in and day out.

-

His eyes widened at those words, completely taken aback for a moment before it clicked.

Right.

Kazuichi had briefly forgotten in his panicked frenzy to find a topic other than his urge to make out with Fuyuhiko, that Sonia was likely why he was pissed in the first place. (Well. He could probably take out the 'likely' now, that was pretty clear.)

He let out a sigh, softly placing a hand on his shoulder. He wasn't very good at comforting people, but.. he at least had to apologize.

"Sorry, man. I forgot that she was a.. touchy subject for you. I'll shut up about her now."

-

He nearly went to go and shove him off, only for the voice in his head to yell at him that that wasn't a proper response to that. After all, Kaz didn't necessarily do anything wrong, he couldn't have known the reason that he was so torn up about her. Honestly, he was a bit embarrassed with how he reacted to hearing about her, but he just couldn't help it. It.. Genuinely hurt, he hadn't felt that way about something like that before.

And he hated it.

"..Psh.. Thanks, Man- But I'm aight.." He tried to push away the anger, at least for Kaz's sake. ..And hope that he didn't ask why, because he was shit at making excuses and he'd probably end up having to tell him straight up. And while that wouldn't be much of an issue for him, he was prepared for affirmation or rejection either way, but he was sure he'd make Kaz short-circuit.

-

Kaz tilted his head a little. He wanted to make sure that Fuyuhiko was okay, doing whatever it takes for that smile to come back, one that had only been missing for minutes yet Kazuichi grew nostalgic for already.

He turned to face Fuyuhiko, concern transparent in his eyes. His head was cocked to the side, and he was studying his face intently.

"...Are you sure?"

-

Fuyuhiko's face heated up a bit at his intent studying, he knew he was the kind of guy to observe people closely, yet regardless it still made his face flush. A forced, flustered laugh made its way from his throat, though it was painfully obvious that it was forced out of him. Kaz was awfully close and it was stirring up thoughts that he wished he wasn't having.

He'd kill to close in that gap in that moment, but of course, he wasn't going to.

"..P-Pft.. 'The hell are you goin' on about- I'm fine..-"

-

He was still obviously guarding something, and Kaz wasn't having it. He didn't want his friend to feel bad, especially when Kaz was trying to cheer him up. He felt guilty for bringing it up again, and wanted to do something to calm him down. It just so happened that the adrenaline of being so close to him somewhat fogged up his decision making skills, and thus Kazuichi decided that the best way to comfort his bro was to lovingly caress his cheek.

So that's what he did.

Lifting up a hand, he softly cupped Fuyuhiko's cheek and gently moved his thumb back and forth, unaware of the lovesick expression overtaking his face. He was just- calming down a friend, is all. Nothing else.

His voice was low and soft, a stark contrast to his typically panicked and high-strung nature. He was completely focused on comforting Fuyuhiko, getting lost in his eyes.

"Hey.. you can tell me what's bothering you, y'know? I don't like seeing you like this. You're one of my closest friends."

-

Fuyuhiko’s eye widened as he froze up on the spot, his face immediately growing a dark red. He couldn’t have anticipated that reaction from Kaz and it threw him completely for a loop. 

He simply stared back up at him, getting lost in his eyes yet again as he swallowed hard. He caught himself staring at his lips after a while, mentally scolding himself before meeting him in the eyes again.

He just looked so.. Calm. So gentle. So caring. No one had ever touched him like this and truthfully, he didn’t know how to react. It was such a sweet snd loving gesture, his heart was nearly pounding out of his chest as he looked back into those amazing, beautiful eyes.

“..I-I.. I..-“

-

It took him a minute to snap out of it, blinking a little as his eyes went from their dilated, lovesick state and reality set in. He sheepishly took his hand back and avoided eye contact, something in his gut telling him that if he kept looking at how cute Fuyuhiko was being, he would do something stupid. 

"Sorry.. eheh. Guess I got carried away there-" Kaz scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, images of how Fuyuhiko was looking up at him with such an open, soft expression firing through his head rapidly.

-

The yakuza remained frozen in that spot for a moment longer, processing what had just happened as he held a hand exactly where Kaz had rested it, moving his own thumb across. That feeling had been... The most comforting thing he had felt in a long time. Having him pull away so abruptly was definitely a disappointment, but its not like he could fuckin' ask him to do it again.

Snapping away from his mental images, he took his hand back from his face quickly, trying to hide the embarrassed and flustered blush that grew across his cheeks. If he was already falling hard before that, it was only getting so, so much worse. 

"..Tch.. Y-You're fuckin' fine, Man.."

-

He nodded absently to the affirmation, clearly lost in his head. It felt like all of his brain was screaming at him to hold Fuyuhiko's hand, or caress his face again. He couldn't explain any of it, all of the aggressive urges to hold the yakuza close. He had the sudden feeling to press an affectionate kiss to his lips, something he had to consistently shove out of his brain.

Kaz was always a more touchy friend, that wasn't news. He typically liked to sling an arm over Hajime's shoulders, or ruffling his hair. But that was all.. friend stuff. This was deeper, romantic fantasies about pressing soft kisses all along Fuyuhiko. His face was steadily growing red as he tried to decode everything, and pressing back the obvious answer.

-

His heart was still racing from before, not seeming to be able to push the image of his adorably caring expression from his mind. He knew good and well that Kaz just simply didn't know the affect behind that, he didn't mean it in any kind of specific way. Regardless, having someone be so gentle with him like that, genuinely trying to make sure he was alright.. It made his heart ache and beg him to just pull him down into a kiss.

Ughhhh. Why did it have to be like that? Why couldn't he have just... Dunno.. NOT fell for the most likely guy to be a victim in a killing game?! Well, he'd.. He'd keep him safe. If that was the last thing he did, he'd keep him safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: stupid pining fucks on the beach


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kazuichi versus gay thoughts.   
> kaz is losing.  
> badly.

Kaz was incredibly grateful to have finally arrived at the beach, being able to distract himself from all of the weird shit in his head. He glanced back at Fuyuhiko with a wide grin, still a bit of a blush on his cheeks.

"Here we are! I don't really remember what you wanted to do, but we're here!" His optimism seemed to be at full power, just happy to be here with Fuyuhiko. Weird gay thoughts aside, he was his friend. And he was happy to be here with him.

-

Fuyuhiko let out a small sigh of relief once they had reached the beach, knowing that they could finally change the topic to something else now that they were here. The last thing he wanted was for Kaz to do anything else without realizing that it had more than 'friendly' connotations. He looked around the beach a bit, a small grin making itself apparent. 

"Just a walk along the beach sounds nice, the air comin' off the sea feels nice today.." With that, he surveyed the beach one more time before starting to take off his socks and shoes. The last thing he wanted was a sand-filled shoe, that'd just piss him off. He liked the beach, but sand was fuckin' annoying.

-

Kaz shrugged and took off his shoes also, mainly following Fuyuhiko's lead. He really didn't care too much about what they did, he really just wanted to cheer him up from whatever funk he was in. That, and spending time with Fuyu was nice on its own. 

All he had to do was just relax and shove away those weird thoughts, ignore the rampant mental images of cuddling up to Fuyuhiko in his cottage and pressing a delicate kiss to his lips. 

"I didn't take ya for the nature-loving type-"

-

He set his shoes to the side as he glanced up at him, starting to unbutton his suit jacket with a small shrug. He didn't look back up at him just yet, as he was busy with fiddling with the buttons. Layers in the first place would get much too hot, it was better for him to just go ahead and take his jacket and shirt off for now. Besides, wearing a suit to the beach isn't the most practical thing he could do.

"..Eh? Well, it's kinda peaceful out here, y'know?"

-

Kaz just hummed in agreement, glancing back to Fuyuhiko to see him taking off his suit jacket. It was probably a good idea, given how warm it was outside, so he put his shoes off to the side and unzipped the top of his jumpsuit, tying the sleeves around his waist. Having it down revealed the somewhat see-through white undershirt he always wore underneath it, a few grease stains visible at the collar. 

Kazuichi looked over to him with a wide grin, moving his feet around in the sand.

"Ya ready to go?"

-

Fuyuhiko had already began loosening his tie, looking back up to him as his face heated up immediately at the sight. He hadn't anticipated Kaz to do the same, which was honestly bad calling on his own part. He was frozen up for a second, a finger remaining under his tie from trying to loosen it beforehand. He tried not to stare, but that was growing increasingly difficult. 

"..I-I.. Uh.." He cleared his throat, quickly looking away as he undid his tie the rest of the way, setting it to the side with his jacket. "..Yeah, yeah- Just a 'sec.. I can't keep this undershirt on, its too hot for that shit-.."

-

A bit of panic arised at those words. As much as he would love to deny it, Kaz had a gut feeling that if Fuyuhiko took off his shirt, it would be.. difficult to keep his cool. At the mental image, Kazuichi's cheeks flushed a bright red. He awkwardly moved a hand to scratch the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. 

"Heh.. Uh, are ya sure? I dunno if it's that hot out-" 

He swallowed a bit, praying that Fuyuhiko would back off. He was just trying to have a nice time with his friend, not have weird thoughts about him.

-

He shot him a confused glance, having already unbuttoned the top few buttons. It was really hot out, at least in his opinion, he didn't handle hot weather very well to be truthful, so wearing a long sleeve shirt was not going to be comfortable at all. 

"..Eh?? I don't like the heat- So its better t just get it out of the way now, y'know..?" He was genuinely confused about why he had even mentioned it, though he shrugged it off, continuing to unbutton the rest of the shirt before looking back at him.

"..'Aight, ready-"

-

Kaz was not skilled in the art of not staring at people he found attractive. This was not any different. 

His eyes, which were previously averted away from Fuyuhiko out of fluster, slowly trailed back over out of pure curiosity and stuck there. At first he was surprised, somehow not expecting the large number of scars decorating the yakuza's chest. 

But once he got over the surprise, Kazuichi found himself being incredibly attracted to the sight. He looked incredible, vaguely reminding him of a model out of a Harley Davidson's commercial. His eyes seemed to be locked onto his chest, staring for a time much longer than a straight guy would.

-

He sat the shirt down with the suit jacket, looking back to him to catch his eye. His face heated up, whether it was in fluster or embarrassment, he couldn't have told you. He didn't think much about taking off his shirt around him at first, after all, they were just dudes. It was whatever, right?

..But was he staring out of interest? Or out of concern?? Or disgust? He didn't entirely know, regardless it brought out a flustered anger, covering up his chest as his brows furrowed. 

"Wh-What are ya starin' for?! 'Gonna go on about how grotesque they look?!"

-

That instantly snapped him out of it, his cheeks growing much more red as he shook his head rapidly. He held up his arms in a pleading manner, apologies falling out of his lips.

"NONONONO- I-I didn't mean to stare-! I just- U-Uh- I-I'm sorry!" 

He felt like Tsumiki, spouting out stuttered apologies with a heavy blush on his face. He really didn't mean to offend, just- they were hot, alright?

"I-I just thought they looked ho- COOL- I MEANT COOL- "

-

His scowl didn't fall, but his arms did from his chest. He let out a small embarrassed huff, crossing his arms as he looked away from him. 'Cool?' He guessed that he should have expected that response, but it took him off-guard anyways. He was awful about hiding things like that, just fuckin' blatantly staring at him like that.

Again, had he not known better, he would've said he was checking him out or some shit. However, it was likely he was just surprised to find him covered in them. How that surprised him, he didn't understand, but this was Kaz he was talking about.

"...Pft..- 'Cool.' ..Whatever you say, Kaz- ..You're a lot more lean than ya look with that bulky jumpsuit-"

-

He brightened a little at the compliment, seemingly forgetting his hefty embarrassment from just seconds before. The only reminder of it was the blush still on his cheeks, now partly due to flattery. He smiled a little, letting out a bit of a flustered laugh. 

"Heh.. thanks~ I guess working in the shop keeps me in shape, huh?"

-

"...Pftt... Guesso-" His face heated up a bit more as he looked back at him, absent-mindedly scanning him yet again before looking away out of fluster. He just couldn't keep his cool around him, especially not like this. Sure, yes, he still had a shirt on.. But- UGHHHH. For fuck's sake Fuyuhiko, get your shit together. 

"..You don't gotta wear that shirt if it gets to hot for ya, y'know.. I don't give a shit whether you do or not-"

-

Kaz shrugged a little in response, stretching a bit. He was pretty good with heat, considering all the melding he had to do in the shop. 

"Eh, I think I'm alright," he simply answered, smoothing out his shirt before they left. It was a strange urge to look nice for him, something he decided was not, in fact, a part of his weird gay thoughts that had started appearing, but was actually just out of respect for the mafia boss. 

Kazuichi: 1, Gay thoughts: 0.

-

"..Ahah.. Yeah, I getchya..-" He tried to hide his ever-present flush as he looked away from him, if the worst comes to shove, he'd just blame it on the heat. Yeah, that was it.. Just getting overheated. He shook his head, making an effort to go and start walking ahead to try and calm his fluster before Kaz noticed. That was the last thing he needed right now.

"..Well, 'you comin'..?"

-

He looked back up to Fuyuhiko with a wide grin and started jogging to catch up to him. It really had been a while since they got to hang out like this, or really since he had got to relax. It was nice, even if weird thoughts kept getting in the way. He was really enjoying this time with Fuyuhiko, and being able to get him out of that funk made it even better.

"Heyy, no fair! You didn't even let me catch up to you-" Kaz playfully whined, slowing to a stop next to Fuyuhiko.

-

He looked back at him, a playful grin curling on the edge of his lips as he did so, putting his hands on his hips as he looked up. He was such a dork, in every sense of the word. Now, if only it wasn't so damn endearing, he might be able to get through this perfectly fine. ..But, that probably won't be the case. 

"What, can long-legs not keep up??"

-

He pouted at that insult, shoving him lightly. A comfortable, friendly air had overtaken them, and it was almost enough to distract Kazuichi from the yakuza's bare chest that was covered in scars that he likely shouldn't find nearly as attractive as he does. 

"I could've- but you gave yourself a head-start! I was busy-" Kaz whined, making sure to stick close to Fuyuhiko's side.

-

"Busy doin' what!? Sitting there?" He laughed, playfully shoving him back with a bigger grin. He was much more at ease now, not worrying about those.. Gross feelings that he had felt earlier. He had no right to be able to do those kinds of things to him. Stupid idiot...

"..Try and keep up next time-"

-

He softened a little at seeing such a genuine grin come from him. It made a little buzz come from his chest, and his grin turned into a soft smile. He felt like he would do anything to see that smile in the moment, such a nice sight. It made him calm down in a way he hadn't for quite a while, so much so that he barely noticed how lovesick he looked in the moment.

"..Whatever you say, Fuyu-" Kaz said, glancing away from him and looking at the water. What a perfect day.

-

He playfully rolled his eyes, looking out at the ocean as well with a small content sigh. For the first time of being stuck here, he was genuinely at ease, like nothing could bother them here. Even just blissful silence with him was a treasured way to spend his time, with him, anything was a good time, you know? Eugh.. This sappy shit was getting old, he'd kill to just be able to drop these dumb thoughts right there.

Unfortunately, that once again, wasn't the case.

"Don't patronize me, Kaz-"

-

He was taken out of the haze a little at that comment, jolting upwards and looking back at Fuyuhiko.

"I'm not!! It's just.. I guess I zoned out a little." He softened more, subconsciously inching closer to him.

"It's just.. this has been nice. Spending time with you. It feels kinda different, but.. it's nice. I like it."

And that was about as heartfelt as Kazuichi got. Even though it wasn't much, it was heartfelt for him, and only made him feel more affectionate towards Fuyuhiko. It was a sweet moment the two were sharing together, and it only made him want to slot Fuyuhiko's hand in his and press a soft kiss to his lips.

-

His cheeks flushed at that, seeming a bit flustered as he looked to the side a bit. Admittedly, he had really needed to hear something like that today, and it brought a small smile to his face. While these feelings were hell for the most part, it only made moments like this tug at his heartstrings all the more. It did feel different, he'd admit. Though, he didn't quite know why that was, or what was causing it.

He looked back at him with the same grin, an unintentional giggle forcing its way from his lips. The mechanic was so painfully, dorkishly adorable, he couldn't help himself. 

"..It is nice.. I've.. Missed you, ya dork.."

-

That tiny giggle that Fuyuhiko let out melted Kazuichi's heart a little bit. At that moment it felt like, for once, he had to let this go and have a gay panic later. Right now, these emotions felt nice, and.. so did being with Fuyuhiko. So.. he could let himself relax for a bit.

He was so deep in the romantic feelings, without thinking, he brushed his hand against Fuyu's and softly took it in his, hesitation in his movements.

-

His eyes shot open, shock filling him entirely as he went a little stiff for a moment. Did he just... He just... Holy shit. Not wanting to discourage him due to his totally shell-shocked reaction, he quickly tried to make up for it by intertwining their fingers, not looking back at him just yet. He was trying to process this, it was just so mind-boggling that he would just.. Fuckin' go for it. 

He remained silent, looking back at the ocean as a dopey grin grew across his face. He didn't realize just how visibly happy he was right now, but his heart was pounding out of his chest. He hadn't felt like this before, but he truly felt like he was on cloud nine.

-

Having Fuyuhiko squeeze his hand like that was strangely adorable. It wasn't often that you got to see the more caring side of him, but having him eagerly hold his hand in return felt like a display of his more sensitive side, only for Kazuichi to see. A wide grin broke out onto his face.

As he trotted alongside Fuyuhiko (Though at the moment he felt like skipping along and singing from the rooftops,) he heard footsteps coming from the road. His stomach dropped. 

He glanced over at who it was, (Just Hajime heading back from Rocketpunch,) but Kaz found that he really didn't care. What he was really thinking about was the realization finally hitting.

He was holding hands with Fuyuhiko.

In a gay way.

In a really gay way, actually. The fact that he had his fingers intricately laced with a gay guy's made it at least ten times gayer.

God, what was he doing? Someone could've seen the two of them and thought Kaz was gay.

Which he was not. At all.

Color draining from his face, Kaz hastily yanked his hand back and put it at his side, still refusing to look at Fuyuhiko and staring forward.

-

Fuyuhiko didn't seem to expect the sudden movement, glancing back down at his own hand as he came to a realization of what had just happened. He should have expected something like that to happen, it was Kaz, of course things like this couldn't last forever. But still, why did it hurt so bad? If he expected it, why did I feel like a sucker punch to the stomach the moment he let go?

Whatever, if they had stayed like that much longer, he probably would have an even harder time letting these stupid, hopeless feelings die where they stood. It was truly foolish to let himself get involved with him at all, it was only a weakness that could be used against the both of them. 

Regardless, that smile that originally had spread across his face had fallen immediately, his normally cold, stoic expression taking form. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he made an effort not to look back at him, knowing good and well that he probably wouldn't even handle that well.

He wished he could just run away now, never look him in the eye again. The more time he spent with the idiot mechanic, the harder it was going to be to let him go.

-

Mustering up the power to look back at Fuyuhiko, an onslaught of guilt hit him. Gone was the joyous grin that he had previously had, or even the playful smile he had on earlier, the sign of him humoring Kaz just slightly. His walls were back up, putting an extra mile of distance between them. He wanted to reassure him, press a gentle kiss to his lips and bring back that smile, but.. no.

He couldn't lead him on like that. All of this was a fluke, he didn't want to give Fuyuhiko the wrong idea. He just hoped that his feelings weren't too hurt. Fuyuhiko was one of his best friends, and amazing company. He didn't want to ruin it over some dumb thing that he did.

Kaz awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, looking away from Fuyuhiko's resigned expression.

"..Shit, man, I'm sorry. I'm just- y'know, I'm not like that."

-

"..Tch.. It's fuckin' whatever, dude.." Clearly, it most certainly wasn't 'whatever' and he was obviously not happy after that. It took everything in him not to just leave then and there, hide away in his cottage for the rest of the day. Maybe try and distract himself from it. 

However, it just kept replaying in his mind. Over and over. He felt the ghost of Kaz's hand intertwining their fingers once again, that dopey grin tugging at his cheeks.. No. He can't think about that now, no matter how much it *really* didn't seem like it, if he didn't swing that way, he didn't swing that way.

He didn't need to push the issue any further. 

"..You don't gotta apologize for shit, it's.. whatever-"

-

Kaz shot him a doubtful look, but decided not to press the issue. Clearly he didn't want to talk about it, and even if he did, there's no way he would want to talk about it with him. 

He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. The heat was finally catching up to him, too, and it was getting uncomfortable to even wear his undershirt.

"Whatever ya say, man. Uh, could we stop for a minute? Sorry, just- it's getting hot out."

And as Fuyuhiko paused and looked back at him, most likely assuming that they were simply taking a rest stop, Kaz continued to act like an idiot and yanked his undershirt off, revealing his slim build underneath. A few traces of sweat were visible along his abdomen, taking the shirt and wiping it across his forehead. He rested the folded shirt on his forearm, grinning back at Fuyuhiko.

"Sorry about that. I'm ready to keep walking-"

-

Fuyuhiko's eyes nearly widened to the size of saucers, forcing himself to quickly look away from him to avoid the inevitable noticing of his bright red face. God, he was such a fucking idiot. He knew that he had no idea what he was doing to him, but regardless, that didn't stop his face from heating up at the sight.

He hadn't ever seen him shirtless up until this point, or at least, he couldn't remember seeing him like this before. ..And trust me, he would have remembered something like that. Regardless, he was lean and well-toned. Not super muscular, but not a walking skeleton either. ..Much to Fuyuhiko's dismay, he looked exactly how he had expected him to. 

Rubbing the back of his neck as he walked ahead of him a bit, he tried to push the image from his mind, despite knowing good and well that the image was right beside him.

"..Pff.. Took you long enough to realize-"

-

He chuckled a little at that comment, relieved that the tension seemed to somewhat dissipate. 

"Yeah, well- I guess I'm kinda used to it. This is nothing compared to when ya have to meld shit in the shop, havin fire so close to your face and wearing that giant suit. I almost forgot that I'm allowed to take my shirt off now, it's kind of a habit to just muscle through the heat." He shook his head lightly and laughed, slinging an arm around Fuyuhiko's shoulders.

"Nothing compared to you, though. You must be out there shooting guys in full suits- I could never wear one of those-"

He fell back to a comfortable rant, easily maneuvering away the urges to pull Fuyuhiko into a passionate kiss. Sure, the thoughts were still there, but less loud now.

-

He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks, yet again he knew it was a friendly gesture that Kaz was prone to doing, but it set his face on fire every time. ..And given the fact that they were both shirtless in this moment, it certainly was not helping in the slightest. 

Trying to brush the thoughts from his mind, he forced out a small laugh, looking to the side to hide his growing fluster to the best of his ability. Worst comes to worst, he could blame it on a heatstroke or some shit. He'd easily believe that anyways.

"..Psh.. That ain't shit- Hand-to-hand combat is when shit gets uncomfortable.. Shooting from a distance? Nah."

-

He laughed a little at the comment, glancing down at Fuyuhiko with a bit of surprise. He leaned down to put their faces close together, eyebrows knit in concentration.

"Jeez, I forgot how red you get when I do this." He put a hand out to squeeze Fuyuhiko's cheek, forcing himself to not think about how soft they were.

"You're all rough and tumble, but ya get flustered so easy-" A small grin played on his face, doing his absolute best to ignore the affection swelling in his chest.

"I guess mafia members ain't so touchy, huh?"

-

His face heated up even more at that, he looked as though steam would be coming off of his cheeks at this point. He was simply just so close to him in that moment, and it was honestly making his mind go blank as he pathetically stared back at him for a moment. 

Upon realizing this, he quickly shifted his eyes back away from him, avoiding eye contact. Again, he knew Kaz had no idea how much this 'friendly' banter was teasing him, but it was practically torture at this point. He tried to lightly push his face away, but it inevitably only caused him to lightly squish his cheek rather than pushing him back.

"..Pffff..- You think we *would* be touchy?"

-

Kaz just shrugged, a playful grin on his lips. It was just too fun to mess with him, and he was all too eager to weaponize the soft spot Fuyuhiko had for him. He put a second hand on his cheeks, squishing them together. He could feel the heat against their hands, Fuyuhiko's entire face going red.

"It's a waste! You're too cute to not be treated like this. I honestly feel bad," He snickered, effectively undercutting the alleged honesty of the statement. He was having way too much fun with this, he couldn't help but picture pressing a playful kiss to his lips as he had him like this.

-

..Cute? Did.. Did he just call him cute? Was he hearing him correctly? He knew that Kaz could be a little absentminded, but to call him cute? Normally, that would be a death wish, if he were anyone else. Something about him.. he just.. it made him feel all mushy to hear him talk like that, and he absolutely hated that. 

He had such a soft spot in his heart, just enough to guarantee that Kaz didn't get punched in the nose. Regardless, a flustered huff brushed past his lips as he shifted his eyes away from him, his hands going up to attempt and pry his hands from his cheeks.

"..I'm not fuckin' cute."

-

He giggled a little more, finally releasing his hands from Fuyuhiko's cheeks. He loved moments like this, it was so playful and fun. Getting Fuyuhiko like this was just so great, breaking him out of his 'no-fucks-given' shell. 

"Okay, okay. You're not cute, or adorable, or possibly the owner of the softest cheeks ever." He was grinning ridiculously wide, trying not to pull the yakuza into a giant bear hug. He had completely moved on from the awkward hand-holding moment and was now focused on talking to his friend.

-

"..Wh? I-!" He huffed yet again, crossing his arms as he looked back up at him with what he assumed to be an annoyed expression, but it mostly came out as a childish pout. How was he even supposed to respond to him saying he had "soft cheeks"?? Who says that? Do people normally say shit like that?

"..You're a bastard." His words didn't come out nearly as harsh as he anticipated, his fluster being completely written across his face and obvious to anyone that saw him. This dumbass had no right to look so cute like this, it was sickening.

-

He only grinned wider at the insult. Fuyuhiko simply looked so cute like this, glowing so red you could practically see him from outer space. Kaz leaned forward a final time and tapped his nose.

"And you're adorable. Now c'mon, let's try to finish a lap before this heat kills us both." He held out his hand once again, this time without hesitation. Just- platonically now.

"As friends?" He asked, voice a bit smaller now. It was an olive branch, a crappy apology for how he acted earlier. And an excuse to feel Fuyuhiko's hand in his again.

-

Fuyuhiko knew this was the best that he was going to really get out of him, and honestly, he was okay with it. If he could feel his hand in his just one more time, it'll have been worth it. He quietly laughed at the awkwardness of his smile and the softness of his voice, taking his hand in his with a hint of his own grin.

"..As friends-"

**Author's Note:**

> It's a weird place to leave off, but it was the best one I could find. Kuzusouda is kind of a rarepair, so I doubt this'll get as popular as our other fics, but I hope that we convinced some people about how cute this ship is!


End file.
